1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to web development and, more specifically, relates to systems and methods for processing locale specific numeric formatting in web browsers.
2. Description of the Related Art JavaScript™ is a scripting language which supports software applications on a variety of computer and computing devices regardless of the underlying operating system. The language has particular application in web documents, (e.g., Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) coded web pages) for processing or manipulating data in a web browser without invoking the web server. Such data manipulation is customarily referred to as client-side data manipulation. Currently, JavaScript™ is one of the most widely used scripting languages.
JavaScript™ technology, however, is deficient in handling and processing alternative numeric data formats which may be locale specific, i.e., numeric data formats which vary depending on the location of the client/user, and which contain characters not recognizable by JavaScript™. For example, in the United States, the number “one thousand five hundred forty-two and fifty-three cents” is customarily expressed and formatted by the client/user as “1,542.53”. In Germany, the same number is formatted as “1.542,53”. Regardless of the locale formatting utilized, JavaScript™ can only process this number when expressed as 1542.53.
Accordingly, software applications supported by JavaScript™ may be incapable of properly performing numeric calculations with numbers entered by the client/user using customary formatting symbols associated with the user locale. If a user in the United States types a number into a form on a web site with the comma grouping separator discussed above, JavaScript™ will not recognize the number as valid without additional manipulation of the data. Similarly, the period grouping separator methodology utilized in Germany is also unrecognizable by JavaScript™. Thus, in order for software applications supported by JavaScript™ to acquire universal and international applicability, it is necessary that these software applications handle and display numbers sensitive to the locale of the user.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a system and method for client-side locale or user specific numeric format handling in a web environment, specifically, in a web browser. It may also be desirable to provide systems and methods for removing a locale or user specific numeric format for performing numeric calculations using JavaScript™ and then formatting the numeric data into one or more locale or user specific numeric formats for display purposes.